Chapter 65: The Scent of Conspiracy

At last, he was living the idle life he’d always dreamed of—eating, loafing, and waiting for death. The great, generous, and benevolent Lord of Tang had bestowed upon Yun Hao two hundred acres of land, five tenant farmers, and a house in the city. In addition, Changsun had sent him two maidservants from his own retinue. All this was a reward for Yun Hao’s treatment of Li Er!

Lying on the intricately carved, eight-step bed, Yun Hao felt as if he were dreaming. A house in the city, land in the countryside—no need to till the soil himself, just rent it out and collect the rent. Each day, beautiful maids attended to his needs. This life… it was, damn it, the very picture of success.

Of course, it would be perfect if not for those three blockheads.

“Hao, Brother Zhang the physician wants to take Laishun as an apprentice. What do you think?” Qi Biao’s head had already popped up eight times in front of Yun Hao!

“You two will be seventeen next year, and I’m not even eight yet. And you’re asking me?” Yun Hao hugged his quilt and bounced off the bed. Damn, can’t a man even take a nap? This is the age for growing—if I don’t sleep, do you want me to stay a stunted shrimp?

Hou Junji seemed to have quickly grown accustomed to Yun Hao’s near-monstrous existence. The world always had its prodigies—those who seemed to know everything, without ever having studied, masters of all things above and below. As for Yun Hao’s inhuman talents, Hou Junji took them in stride.

Qi Biao and Laishun were different; they seemed born to follow someone, utterly lacking initiative. Every day, they’d simply open their eyes and do whatever Hou Junji told them. As for their own futures, they hadn’t planned a thing. In their eyes, so long as they listened to Hou Junji, all would be well. Now, Yun Hao had joined that list.

“Should I also become Physician Zhang’s apprentice?” the blockhead asked yet again.

“For crying out loud! You’ve asked eight times now—if you want to do it, just go! Stop disturbing my nap!”

“But Physician Zhang hasn’t said he’d take me. Wouldn’t it be… weird to just go?”

How did such a thin-skinned fellow manage to be a street tough in Luzhou? Where was that boldness when you tried to scam Dan Xiongxin? Honestly, who ever heard of a bashful hoodlum? He clearly wanted Yun Hao to plead his case. And the fact that Zhang the physician had picked his brother only made Qi Biao feel even more awkward; in his view, if his brother was chosen, he ought to have been too.

“If you let me sleep now, I’ll go and put in a good word for you as soon as I wake up, all right?” With a sigh of resignation, Yun Hao raised his hands in surrender.

“Oh!” Qi Biao took a few steps away, then turned back, worried: “You won’t, you know, not wake up, will you…?”

“Get lost!”

As the new rising star physician in Jinyang City, Yun Hao’s reputation carried weight. The Yun family’s new residence was only a street away from the Zhang family pharmacy, and after his refreshing nap, Yun Hao was in high spirits. He visited Zhang Wenzhong personally, and with Yun Hao’s plea, Zhang Wenzhong agreed without hesitation. After all, taking on one more apprentice was no trouble, and while he hadn’t been impressed by Qi Biao, he couldn’t turn Yun Hao down. Both Wu Shiyue and Zhang Wenzhong believed that Yun Hao’s future was limitless—it was wise to cultivate goodwill now.

“Do you really think those two can learn medicine?” Hou Junji was skeptical about the two brothers’ prospects. He knew their backgrounds too well—neither could read, let alone distinguish herbs. In his eyes, Zhang Wenzhong ought to have his head examined for even considering it.

“If they can’t master medicine, at least they won’t go astray. At worst, they’ll become barefoot doctors and make an honest living. Would you rather they stayed thugs, never knowing where their next meal will come from?”

“Who said I want to stay a thug? Master Changsun said I could become Second Young Master’s personal attendant. From now on, I’m a man of the Lord of Tang’s household. Let’s see who dares look down on me now.” Hou Junji puffed himself up with pride. In Jinyang, no one outranked the Lord of Tang, and as a servant in his household, that status far surpassed any common hireling.

Li Er is already recruiting followers? Yun Hao studied Hou Junji closely. The future marquis still had a baby face—was that a wicked smile flickering there? Well, blessing or curse, there’s no escaping fate. Who can say what tomorrow holds? Didn’t the Grand Ancestor say it best? Rain will fall, and brides will marry—nature’s rules, not to be defied.

“Just be the best attendant you can,” Yun Hao sighed, genuinely hoping Hou Junji would avoid the fate awaiting him in history.

“Hao, come here!” Laishun beckoned Yun Hao over, eyes darting mischievously, his brows twitching like two caterpillars. Was he having a seizure?

Following Laishun to the door, Yun Hao found Qi Biao crouched by it, backside in the air like a peacock. Hou Junji kicked him, and he sprang up like a startled cat.

“Who’s there?” came a startled cry from inside—a girl’s voice, and one Yun Hao knew well. Before he could react, someone shoved him from behind. His hands instinctively pressed against the door, but whether it was unlatched or someone opened it, he suddenly lost his balance and tumbled in.

A woman’s shrill scream filled the room, followed by the splash of water. Emerging from the bright outdoors into the dim interior, Yun Hao was momentarily disoriented. It took a while for his eyes to adjust.

What he saw shocked him—Zhang Miaoke, clad only in a chest wrap, was submerged in water like a frightened rabbit, trembling so hard the water rippled around her. Beside her, Xing’er, the maid, wore nothing but a dudou. Standing outside the tub, she was completely exposed to Yun Hao’s gaze.

She seemed barely twelve or thirteen, but already surprisingly well-developed—give her a few more years, and who could compare? Even the most famous stars would pale in comparison.

Only then did Yun Hao realize Zhang Miaoke was bathing. That bastard Qi Biao had been trying to spy on her, no wonder he was slinking about like a thief. Yun Hao wasn’t at all fazed by the accidental glimpse; after all, he was not yet eight—a bona fide child. In his previous life, at four, his mother still took him to the women’s baths. He’d seen it all! Who ever heard of an eight-year-old pervert? So what if he looked? What could they do, drag him before the magistrate?

“You… you… get out!” Zhang Miaoke shrank into the water, trying to disappear, while Xing’er grabbed a stick and charged at him, eyes blazing.

Yun Hao turned and fled. In matters like these, it was always the man who suffered; even as a child, a beating would be wasted on him. He dashed out of the Zhang family pharmacy, suddenly catching the scent of a conspiracy in the air.